The Legal Transformation Study - a framework for dialogue

In February 2008 a group of legal industry experts representing many facets of the profession published a collective work entitled “The Legal Transformation Study (‘LTS’).”* The aim of the LTS was to apply a future planning method called scenario planning to the legal profession and its ongoing evolution. Through the use of this scenario planning LTS explored what the legal profession could look like in the year 2020.

The substance of the LTS was based on interviews, research, analysis, and market findings as contributed and provided by many reputable individuals. Some of the participants included the likes of Jeffrey Carr of FMC Technologies, Mark Chandler of CISCO, Ward Bower of Altman Weil, Ed Breen of Tyco Int’l, Fred Krebs the ACC President, Justin Miller of DuPont – among other prominent opinion leaders and practitioners.

In early 2008 I was one of the first presenters of this material and its findings at a Corporate Responsibility Officer conference at the Union League Club in NYC. It was there that we began to witness the LTS becoming a useful tool to frame many of the current issues in the evolution of the legal industry. What we also realized was that the LTS would be relevant for years to come as we progress towards the year 2020 – the end date of which the LTS contemplates. From that moment until the year 2020 (and most likely beyond) the LTS would be used as a guide to not only frame discussion on change but also guide the dialogue and track the evolution of the legal industry. In short the LTS gave us a means to discuss change with our colleagues, clients, customers, and peers that expanded beyond mere guesses or conjecture.

In the coming weeks I will be discussing the LTS and its findings here. Rather than simply repeat and copy what is found in the study, I hope to explain the content in a way that engages the reader to think about what signs they see in the industry that could impact the LTS - validating or invalidating its scenarios as time progresses. From this I hope to contribute to the and findings of just how the legal profession is changing and perhaps not changing.

Another hope is that I will be able to coax or bribe others to contribute here or on their blogs or in other mediums. The LTS was a collective work not one person’s opinion and so it’s discussion and dialogue ought to be as well.

*Disclaimer: I am an Expert Contributor to this Study as well as one of the initial Sponsors.